Monday, April 23, 2012

12:18 PM

The Government Accountability Board is letting voters know, in advance of the recall primary in two weeks, that voter ID is not and likely will not be in place for the elections and that early voting can begin today until May 4.

In an information release put out today, GAB officials also spiked a rumor circulating that Gov. Scott Walker could avoid a general election on June 5 if he won the Democratic nomination if he won a write-in campaign by two votes. Officials say a candidate cannot be a candidate in two primaries for the same office and that staff will not count write-in votes for Walker in the Democratic primary.

GAB officials are also reminding voters they can cross party lines in the recall primary. But they may only vote once per office. For example a voter could cast a ballot in the GOP guv primary and then vote in the Dem lt. guv primary. Republicans have put up "fake" or "protest" candidates in each of the Dem primaries, while Gov. Scott Walker is being challenged in the GOP primary by Madison protester Arthur Kohl-Riggs.

Voters are also being notified that 17 municipalities are split by Senate recall districts. The 2002 Senate district lines will be used for the recall elections, rather than the redistricting maps approved last year.

Absentee ballots must be requested from municipalities by May 3 in most cases. Military voters and those confined due to disability have until May 4. All absentee ballots must be postmarked by May 11 to be counted.

-- By Jason Smathers

UPDATE: This post has been edited to clarify information about crossover voting in the primaries.